Gerbils are truly wonderful animals. But you should immediately be prepared for the fact that you will have to start at least a couple. Alone, these herd animals get bored and eat poorly. In general, gerbils are not at all whimsical in their care. These are inhabitants of deserts and semi-deserts, so they are used to being content with little. They even go to the toilet a little and rarely, so their homes can be cleaned once every two to three weeks. In addition, gerbils are very clean, easy to tame, gentle, not aggressive and do not require much space.
Dwelling
Gerbils can be content with an ordinary metal cage measuring 40x50 cm, the main thing is that it does not have a lattice bottom. Gerbils often injure paws trapped between the twigs. It is even better to keep your gerbils in a container with glass walls, pouring a layer of peat, sawdust, twigs or hay 20 cm thick into it. Then you can watch how they dig tunnels, behind their hidden life from prying eyes.
Place unmarked torn cardboard or egg cartons in the cage so that the animals can build their nests. The wheel will also be useful - these animals are very active and love to move. But buy not a lattice wheel, but a solid wheel.
Behavior
Gerbils may be shy at first, but then they will quickly get used to it, and you will be able to constantly communicate with them. Unlike hamsters and chipmunks, gerbils do not have a tendency to hide and look for dark corners, they are in the field of view of people most of the time, they easily make contact: they come to a call, take food from their hands.
As in nature, in captivity, the animals tend to stockpile feed, they like to train hay and grass in piles. If you feed them wet food, make sure they don't stockpile it, and check their pantries regularly or the stock will start to rot.
Feeding
Like all rodents, gerbils love grains, especially those that are sprouted and soaked. They enjoy eating legumes, hay, green grass, sunflowers, beets, carrots, apples, berries. Pumpkin seeds are used as a medicine, but they can be given in small quantities and not more often than once a week - they are very fatty for gerbils. When buying, find out what they were fed before you, and at first feed the same way, gradually, every ten days, introduce a new feed. It is advisable to give the animals a mineral supplement: chalk, eggshells and necessarily branches of fruit trees, poplar or birch, so that they can gnaw them and grind their teeth.
Note to the owners
- Gerbils will quickly get used to you and tame if you hand them treats like seeds or raisins.
- If you need to catch a gerbil, catch it by the tail, lift it up and use your other hand as a support. When you play with gerbils, sit on the floor, these nimble animals can escape, and they do not want to fall from a height.
- Remember that they are not just called gerbils on a whim. These animals love sand baths. Be sure to place a container of sand in your home.
